A report published by the Daily Mail website stated that an unprecedented virus infected a 20-year-old man with the disease in Peru.
The patient (a construction worker), whose identity has not been determined, went to the hospital as a result of suffering from symptoms including fever, chills, and muscle and joint pain. It is unclear whether he has recovered from his illness, which has been described as similar to malaria and dengue fever.
But scientists, who discovered the pathogen after taking a sample of his blood, warned that the virus was likely spreading in the forest of central Peru, according to the report.
They revealed that it is a phlebovirus that can be spread by sand flies, mosquitoes or ticks.
They called on health officials to monitor viruses that cause malaria-like symptoms, so they can detect emerging infections and protect public health.
The infection causes high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, and meningitis.
Rift Valley fever is the most well-known disease that can be caused by a phlebitis virus. Patients can suffer from life-threatening hemorrhagic fever, which causes bleeding from the mouth, eyes, ears, as well as internal organs.
To date, only three phleboviruses that cause fever have been discovered in Peru.
The patient appeared at De La Merced Chanchamayo Hospital in central Peru. His symptoms included headache, fatigue, sensitivity to light, and loss of appetite. The paramedics took a blood sample and sent it for laboratory testing.
Scientists at the US Navy Medical Research Unit in Lima analyzed the sample and discovered the Candero venous virus.
However, parts of the virus showed differences from Candiru that “could not be explained by a virus mutation,” indicating that the man was infected with a new virus.
The analysis indicated that the pathogen was formed by restructuring the Candero virus with a new strain of Echarate virus.
The team, led by research technician Gilda Troncos, said their findings indicate that a new type of Echarate virus is spreading in the forest of central Peru.
The disease caused by the virus is similar to dengue, malaria and other tropical infections, they wrote in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
He urged scientists to conduct environmental studies to determine the extent of the spread of the new strain within the region and to identify potential sources of infection.